


The Not Varsity Debate Team

by Arsenic



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-09-14
Updated: 2007-09-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 04:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21030101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsenic/pseuds/Arsenic
Summary: High school AU.





	The Not Varsity Debate Team

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Siren_Mage in the Mikey AU Meme

As far as Mikey could tell, taking debate was a bad idea. But he'd needed one last elective to graduate and Frank had said, "Debate, seriously, if I have to suffer, you should have to suffer, too." And while that argument made absolutely less than no sense, somehow Mikey had ended up filling the empty space on his schedule in with the words "debate" and "101".

Gerard, in his daily phone call from art school said, "Mikey, you've got to stop letting Iero have his wicked way with you."

Iero wasn't having any kind of way with Mikey. Frank was ridiculously loyal to his--fine, hot--band tech boyfriend who was out of town three-quarters of the time, but, in fairness to him, seemed to validly try to get back to see Frank as much as humanly possible. Bob didn't talk much, not that Mikey could tell, but he was actually really cool and genuinely nice when he did, and jealousy or no, Mikey could totally understand what Frank saw in him. Mikey sighed, "Whatever, it's just a semester."

That argument had sounded totally reasonable until the first day of class, when the teacher split the class up into groups of three to research and work on an argument for their assigned issue and Mikey somehow ended up with Ryan Ross and Brendon Urie, assigned to argue that healthcare needed to remain privatized, which was something about which Mikey knew very little and cared even less.

He sent Frank a death glare from across the room. Frank, of course, had been assigned to work with Jon and Greta, neither of whom were completely anti-social freaks likely to murder other students at random given enough provocation. In other words, not Ryan Ross. Urie, as far as Mikey could tell, wasn't quite so bad, but he was kind of popular, at least among the theater kid set, and that was something Mikey avoided like the plague. Frank had also been assigned abortion, and okay, he had to argue for pro-choice, which was probably going to send him to confession like eight times before this was all over, but at least it was an exciting topic. The only, _only_ mollifying part of the entire thing was that Frank had the sense to look apologetic in response to Mikey's accusing eyes.

Brendon asked, "So, do we want to meet after school? Maybe at McDonalds? I'll buy fries."

Frank was so not forgiven.

*

Ryan showed up to McDonalds carrying so many books that Mikey was pretty sure they had to outweigh him. He set them down on the table respectfully and said, "This is such bullshit, a purely privatized system hasn't made sense since, like, ever."

Mikey blinked. He was pretty sure that was the most words he'd ever heard Ryan string together at once. Not that he knew the other guy well, but until now, Mikey had actually suspected that he had a speech impediment, or that English wasn't his first language. Mikey admitted, "I, uh, I don't really know much about it."

"Consider yourself lucky," Ryan said, still not meeting Mikey's eyes, or looking anywhere at him, really.

Brendon bounded over with a tray. "I got us milkshakes, too. Strawberry, chocolate and vanilla, but if any of you want the chocolate, you have to share."

"Vanilla," Ryan said.

"Huh," Mikey said, "strawberry." Because really, how likely was that? They each took their respective milkshakes. Brendon put the fries in front of them. He took one and dipped it in his milkshake. Ryan made a face.

Brendon said, "Whatever, vanilla boy. So, you know about this stuff?"

Ryan said, "I'm not doing this assignment for you assholes."

"_I_ didn't ask you to," Mikey bit out.

"That was an ice breaker question, Ross, something other people use to begin conversation," Brendon explained. Mikey sipped at his milkshake so as not to laugh.

"Fuck you," Ryan said, the insult perfectly monotone, and stood. Brendon caught him with a hand to his elbow. "Hey."

Mikey noticed how, standing in the middle of a McDonalds rather than in the school gym or hallway, Ryan's posture just seemed lonely, fragile, rather than on-edge and dangerous. Brendon said, "Sorry, that was-- Evidently you bring out the best in me."

"Take a number," Ryan said, but he sat back down. "Look, it's just... Most of my experience with this stuff is personal and I hate our system, hate it, and it sucks having to argue for it."

Brendon pushed a fry in Ryan's direction. Mikey said, "So maybe we should be arguing that it's not the system itself that's bad, but our implementation of it. I mean, I don't know, does that make any sense?"

Ryan cocked his head. "There's definitely, I mean, if certain changes were enacted-- That's, that's actually a really good idea."

"Don't sound so shocked," Mikey muttered.

"Sorry." He actually had the grace to flush. "I just, uh, I don't work with other people, very often."

Brendon grinned. "Then we're sort of like a special occasion." He nodded at Ryan's milkshake. "Drink up."

*

Ryan wasn't in school the first two days of the third week of their project, and Mikey and Brendon decided that the only thing for it was to go see him, catch him up on what they'd been doing. Only when they got to Ryan's house, nobody was there. The kid who was mowing the grass next door asked, "You looking for Ryan?"

Mikey nodded. Next to him, he could feel Brendon nodding as well. The kid tilted his head. "What're your names?"

Mikey said, "Mikey." Brendon said, "Brendon."

"Ryan's at St. Mary's, but if he asks, I didn't say."

Brendon asked, "Is he okay?"

The kid said, "Well, he's gonna be pissed, at first, but you should ride that out."

Brendon asked, "So, who's not supposed to have told us?"

The kid grinned. "If he gives you any trouble, tell him Spencer said he's a complete dumbtard and he should let people be his friends."

*

They found Ryan in the hospital cafeteria, pouring hot chocolate mix into his coffee. The corner of his mouth was cut and puffy and he looked like he hadn't slept in a few days, but when he saw them, all his edges were blade sharp. Pre-emptively, Brendon said, "Don't look at us like that, Ryan Ross, we brought you yogurt covered pretzels. Also, Spencer says to tell you--"

"Um, maybe that can wait," Mikey said.

"You talked to Spencer?" Ryan asked.

"We came to find you," Brendon said, "but you weren't at home."

"And he let you know I was here?"

"He said you should let people be your friends," Mikey told him softly.

"That's all I was gonna say." Brendon sounded affronted.

Ryan stirred the chocolate into his coffee. "Sorry I haven't been around."

"Are you--" Brendon handed him the covered pretzels. "Um."

"Are you okay?" Mikey asked.

Ryan smiled a little. "Fine. It's my dad, not me. I'm just--"

"Checking out the healthcare system first hand?" Brendon asked. "That's really clever of you, Ry."

Ryan's laugh was small, but it was a laugh. "Yeah, that's totally what this is."

Mikey said, "C'mon, let's sit down. I got your assignments from your teachers."

"Really?" Ryan asked softly.

Equally softly, Brendon said, "Spencer's totally right, you know?"

Ryan sighed. "He usually is."

*

They got an A on their assignment despite the fact that Brendon's oratory style was a little tangential, and Mikey's involved a lot of staring off into space, and Ryan was perhaps a little more sarcastic about the other teams debating abilities than technically called for. Brendon said, "WOOO! A! This calls for celebration!"

"What're you gonna do?" Ryan challenged, "buy me a vanilla milkshake?"

"Oh, better than that, Ryan Ross," Brendon said, but refused to provide more details until Ryan and Mikey agreed to pile in his car out of sheer curiosity. Brendon drove them to the only Ben & Jerry's parlor in town and said, "Your choice."

"I can actually afford an ice cream, you realize?" Ryan asked. Mikey stayed quiet. With Gerard off at school, things were a little tight right now. Ryan said, "But hey, if you're offering."

Mikey got himself a scoop of American Pie, and Ryan went for Creme Brulee. Brendon, predictably, got himself Phish Food. They took the ice cream outside into what would probably be the last nice weather of the year, and walked until they were behind the buildings, where people were unlikely to bother them. Brendon asked Ryan, "Hey, can I taste yours?"

Ryan scooped some onto his spoon and held it out to Brendon, but Brendon bypassed the offer and pressed his mouth right to Ryan's. Mikey looked away. There was always someone else. Then Brendon said, "That's pretty good. Can I taste yours, Mikey?"

Mikey couldn't even answer. Brendon's lips were cold, ice cream cold, against his, sweet and soft. Brendon went back to paying attention to his ice cream then, said, "Um, just so you know."

Mikey looked at Ryan and said, softly, "No fair. I didn't get to try yours."

Ryan glanced down at his spoon and then up at Mikey. He didn't offer Mikey the utensil.


End file.
